Situated slap bang in the middle of London’s Theatreland, and currently next to the giant shiny yellow and red umbrellas of Singin' in the Rain at the grand Palace Theatre, the Z Hotel Soho is in a really plum location. So what more could you ask for?
Well add to the location, you have a chic style that oozes a soft sophistication with dark and pale wood veneers, white bedlinen, and frosted glass bathroom units with walk-in showers. What’s even better is that all this comes at an affordable price. The converted rooms in the twelve adjoining townhouses cost from £85 for a single and up to £110 for a queen room for the night (not one room is the same), and all amenities are included -- clean towels, smart Thierry Mugler toiletries and hairdryers all part of the price.
There are single rooms with double beds whose tiny frosted windows face into the courtyard, and slightly larger queen-size rooms with windows looking out towards the Spice of Life pub (an old student haunt of mine). All beds are fixed against one wall so mobility issues might be a problem - there are however a number of rooms for less able guests.
On warm summer nights you can eat in the outdoor courtyard, or take to the roof to glimpse London Mary Poppins style. Apparently up here was the perfect place to watch London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks. Downstairs, the hotel’s café/bar resembles a trendy coffee shop and stays open 24 hours for guests, providing a sensibly concise snack menu and serving drinks to late arrivals or night owls. Breakfast croissants are delivered fresh around 6:30am and although it’s not included in your price, it’s a good way to start a day of sightseeing.
The great thing about the Z Soho is that you don’t need to schlep out to the edge of the city for cheap lodgings and can wander back to your hotel after a night out. For shoppers, clubbers, theatregoers you’re steps away from everything: on the edge of Soho’s restaurants, over the road from Chinatown and the cinemas of Leicester Square, and opposite the trendy vintage shops and boutiques of Monmouth Street and the Seven Dials area, next to Covent Garden. Obviously being in such a prime part of London and on a fairly busy intersection of Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue at Cambridge Circus does bring the hum of city traffic, so if you’re a light sleeper, bring earplugs.
The one thing that I found hard (literally) was the mattress. All handmade in Devon, they would be perfect if you have a bad back, but I like to sink in a little, so I found it difficult to get comfortable despite the fluffy feather pillows and 100% wool duvet. Fortunately the large shiny new plasma screens in the wall at the end of the bed kept me distracted as I flicked through all of the Sky TV channels.
The whole hotel also provides free Wi-Fi and there’s no need for a password. Other room amenities include both UK and European plug sockets, an iPod charger, bottle of water, and a kettle with coffees, teas and hot chocolate. There’s no storage or wardrobe but you can ask for more hangers if you haven’t enough.
This place is all about location though so it’s probably best to book well in advance. Saying that however, there were a couple of rooms free last Saturday night so you never know.
Z Hotel Soho, 17 Moor Street, London W1 tel: +44 (0)20 3551 3701. www.thezhotels.com
The Stafford is well-placed in St James's, a London neighbourhood well-known for its luxury offering. Nestled in a cosy, no-through road nook between Green Park and St James's Park, it's a postcode that appeals to the senses with its promise of indulgence and renewal: the extravagance of Fortnum & Mason, its anachronistic gentlemen clubs and barbers, cigar emporiums, fine wine merchants and the crisp, bespoke suits of Jermyn Street.
The hotel's location, positively hidden from view, gives the feeling of a retreat. A kinder, gentler corner of London, it's a mood which permeates the property. While a lot of its brash neighbours go full tilt at gold-plated lavishness, sometimes egregious opulence, the sumptuousness here is a lot more easily worn. It comes through in an attitude; their approach.
The staff is cheery, personable and efficient with excellent tips on the neighbourhood. Other guests coo that the property is like a home-from-home; visitors even get personalised business cards. A bit cute I'd say but most people seem to find it endearing. It's a difficult trick to pull off in any case, the feeling of genuine comfort and ease in a central London hotel.
History here has cultivated a familiar, warm and informal setting (even other friendly guests seem vaguely familiar, like a nice version of distant cousins) rather than the starchy atmosphere to which some other high-end joints succumb. With a 105 rooms and suites -- 24 rooms in the Main House and the Main House public areas have recently been renovated -- it's just about the right size to pull this off.
This all comes at a high price, of course, but this does translate -- if this is the kind of place your money can reach -- into a real drop in, switch-off and tune out time; one pretty good definition of luxury, and a little sanctuary from the crowds and the traffic.
Rooms Rooms are spacious with lots of natural light. Hues of crystal and light grey blend with shades of brown sugar and tobacco to create a subtle mix of bold and floral design. Beds are big and modern, with spotless, crisp linen and super-comfortable; the kind that make you feel like an ecstatic breakfast advert in the morning, smiling like a goon despite yourself. The bedroom area -- with liberal wardrobe space -- adjoins a large twin-sink bathroom: huge, downy towels perch on hot rails like blooming magnolia; the toiletries are the kind you'd not just steal but be happy to give as gifts (no, I didn't...); and there's enough room to splash around like a St James's Park Pelican.
A separate sitting area allows you to spread out, with generous workspace, Satellite TV, complimentary Wi-Fi and Bose CD/Radio/Ipod dock, plus a few classic books thrown in for good measure. And it's very quiet. It's no surprise to learn they've had a few film stars stay as you really do have a cut-off-from-the-world privacy here, while being bang in the middle of everything. My room in the Mews, a newer cluster separate to the main hotel, looks opposite onto the peaceful and beautifully converted Carriage House rooms and suites of the 18th century stable Courtyard. Below, under its balconies filled with flowers are some potted trees with a few tables to take in the scent and an evening drink.
The American Bar The American Bar gets its own heading here because it's a bit of an institution. For a start, they've only had two Bar Managers in the last 50-odd years. Secondly, it's such an eccentric and warm curiosity. Memorabilia from around the globe swarm all surfaces: signed celebrity photographs cram the walls; while sporting artefacts and baseball caps hang from the ceiling. Born in the 1930s cocktail era, when Manhattans and Martinis started to slide into London courtesy of North American visitors, the collection of trinkets it has amassed reflects its passing trade. The bar staff is geniality itself, waiters dressed in shabby chic, serving up their famous ice-cold Martinis and 'Boss' Brew' -- a dark English beer brewed by Daniel Thwaites. You pretty quickly get the idea you could lose yourself for a while in a place like this.
The Stafford Cellars If you get a chance take a tour of the 380-year old stone, vaulted working wine cellar with underground corridors to St. James's Palace, then jump at it. Available for private hire and wine tastings, it's a real treat to stroll around under the instruction of the man with the keys, Gino Nardella, loyal at the Stafford for more than 40 years and a Master Sommelier, one of around 180 worldwide. The crepuscular surroundings and glinting, constantly changing inventory of between 18,000 and 20,000 bottles, gives a hint of the atmosphere purportedly conducive to Royal shenanigans years past, when the underground corridor was used as a short cut.
Tea & Cake Breakfast is a prompt but relaxed and unobtrusive service, in a roomy elegant English restaurant, which opens out on to a lounge and drawing room with comfy sofas offering Afternoon Tea throughout the day. The English breakfast itself is delicious; individual parts of the plate to sit back and savour, with staff on hand to explain where they source produce locally. It may even give you the energy to tackle the Fitness Suite later on if you're not tired from the shopping scene outside. Or, you know, feel adequately sated for an early Martini.
A hotel experience is a good one if it confounds expectation, positively. I'll admit, I thought The Stafford may be a little stuffy, a bit staid. There's even a little, unfortunate chip I'm happy to come clean on carrying when visiting this kind of time-honoured, luxury residence, call it a reverse kind of snobbery. It's the highest compliment then that this place knocked it off. It's opulent, welcoming and personal yes, but not pompous or ersatz like a lot of the tinny ostentation that is often de rigour with an established luxury hotel. For a place so recognised, it's swimming against the tide. And good luck to it.
Rates: Double rooms start from £235 excl. VAT and breakfast; suites start from £460 excl. VAT and breakfast. Stay hosted by Kempinski (www.kempinski.com)
Harveys Bristol Cream sherry is synonymous with the city of Bristol, so much so that they even make it in beautiful Bristol Blue glass bottles nowadays. I was invited to the launch of Harveys Cellars, a new bar/tapas restaurant in the former Harveys wine cellars, where they stored huge barrels of the fortified drink from the 18th century right up until the 1960s, when it then became a small museum and Michelin-starred restaurant that closed in 2003. So the owners were always going to have a challenge living up to the former tenants of the premises.
Naming it Harveys Cellars again brings some of that proud heritage back to the city, and in so doing has given Bristol its first sherry bar and tapas restaurant. There are already a number of trendy sherry bars/restaurants in London, but this is possibly the first outside of the capital, and currently it is definitely the first Harveys sherry restaurant in the world.
We were treated to a number of delightful tapas tasting flights, matching different Harveys sherries with different dishes. I must admit prior to this, I had only had sherry a couple of times, and would have chosen Madeira over sherry, and possibly only had it as an aperitif or put it into cooking. It was a surprise for me (although obviously not for aficionados) that there are many varieties of the drink, from a very dry white Fino sherry to the super thick treacly dark PX (or Pedro Ximénez).
The Fino was perfectly matched with salted almonds, olives and boquerones (anchovies). The Palo Cortado suited the rich chorizo and morcilla (black pudding), while dessert (and one that you may not have had since you were a child) was a delightful sherry trifle, that I would definitely recommend while pouring a little of the PX onto the trifle. If you want to try one of the tasting flights, there is a small flight with aperitif, selection of tapas with matched sherries and dessert for £20 per person, and a full flight for £40.
The bar managers are also really happy to offer recommendations for cocktails, matching your sweet tooth maybe to a Candy Floss Martini, or trying out a sherry-based cocktail of Bristol Punch with Harveys Bristol Cream, or maybe you just want a straight sherry over ice and a slice of orange.
If you do visit, think about the fact that you are very much in the middle of a little piece of Bristol history, albeit that now much of the 13th-century underground cellars that once connected to the harbourside through which the barrels were rolled are now closed off by other buildings. The cavernous barrel stores of Harveys Cellars have also been blocked off by the current owner but we can only hope that one day they may be reopened again.
The restaurant itself is very understated with white walls and dark tables and a super-stylish central bar (although I was expecting a rustic bodega look). Through the cellars past a wall of Bristol Blue glass bottles and a small display of Harveys barrels (that I remember from before it closed), is a little nook of a bar, where you can enjoy sherry and tapas from large barrel tables. It also makes an ideal location if you’re going to the theatre, especially at the end of the night coming out of the Hippodrome and almost straight into the unprepossessing door of Harveys Cellars (be careful as you could almost miss it). Denmark Street has always been a bit of pass-through street with local fast-food joints and kebab houses, but now it is worth staying a bit longer. I would definitely be back for light bites and the odd sherry.
Amsterdam may be one of the most popular cities for tourists to Europe, but it has a surprisingly small number of hotels (as I discovered recently when frantically trying to book a room, a week before visiting). But what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality, and two of Amsterdam’s grandest hotels, Sofitel The Grand and Hotel de l’Europe, have recently emerged from extensive renovations. I checked in to view the exciting results.
Sofitel The Grand
The Grand's courtyard entry
My first stop: Sofitel the Grand, which carries the company's new Legends brand (Sofitel's handful of historic landmark properties). The Grand holds a special place in the city's history: Built as a convent, it became the Court of Princes (Princenhof), home to royalty, in 1578. Later it served as Amsterdam's City Hall, and in 1966 its Council Chamber hosted the wedding of Queen Beatrice, broadcast throughout the country.
The renovated lobby
The Grand recently completed a two-year facelift. The hotel’s facade is stately and impressive, beginning with an entry courtyard with doormen in top hats greeting you. The stylish lobby is white with splashes of color, its floor made of marble original to the property. Off to the side is an inviting library with a modern fireplace.
The garden courtyard
The hotel’s signature restaurant, Bridges, is entered from outside the hotel—a move intended to integrate the restaurant with the city (the entry features a large mural by Karel Appel, which influenced the hotel’s design throughout). The restaurant has the city’s first raw bar, and the seafood is fantastic (be sure to sample the squid). You can also dine in the tranquil garden courtyard.
Rembrandt's likeness in a room at The Grand
For the renovation of each room, the designer employed the talents of students from Eindover Design Academy. Line drawings of Dutch luminaries grace a wall in each room (mine featured Rembrandt). My large room faced onto a small, quiet canal full of swans. The Grand also provides nifty glider bikes to whisk you around town and your own personal butler (is there anything more decadent?).
Hotel de l’Europe
The Hotel de l'Europe, situated on the Amstel River
The Hotel de l’Europe has also undergone a massive, 61-million Euro renovation. The hotel has slowly reopened portions of the hotels to guests, including the new Dutch Masters wing. When I visited, construction was still ongoing, but it is now complete. First opened in 1896, the iconic hotel is owned by the Heineken family.
Hoofdstad Brasserie
While I didn’t have an opportunity to dine at the hotel’s Bord'Eau restaurant, it’s ranked highly for its Dutch and French cuisine, while Hoofdstad Brasserie has a lively riverside terrace. I did enjoy Freddy’s Bar, a wood-paneled room named for Freddy Heineken, who frequently entertained guests there; there’s also Freddy’s Fumoir, an atmospheric cigar bar.
Room in the new Master's Wing
Each room features a unique design, with warm, bold colors and Art-Deco accents. The rooms in the Dutch Masters wing feature large replicas from the nearby Rijksmuseum. My room had deep red tones and a clubby feel. Perched above the Amstel River, it must have one of the best views in town, with bikers crossing bridges and boats coasting along. The bathroom was tremendous and red-tiled from floor to ceiling, while many other rooms have bathrooms made entirely of marble. Post-renovation, the sophisticated property is an ideal retreat.
Costa CruisesCosta Concordiatragedy is the worst cruise ship disaster since October 1998, when Windjammer Barefoot Cruises’ Fantome sank during Hurricane Mitch with 31 crew members (but no passengers) on board.
Frommers.com’s cruise blogger, Matt Hannafin, has been updating us on developments since the Costa Concordia was struck at around 9.30pm on Friday 13th January, when the vessel struck submerged rocks of Isola del Giglio, Italy, on its way from Civitavecchia.
Below we talk to ABTA’s Sean Tipton about what UK travellers are entitled to if they have booked a cruise and the options available.
What can UK travellers do if they have booked a cruise with Costa Cruises? Customers booked for travel on the Costa Concordia for travel up until 25 February 2012 are being offered a full refund and the option to rebook on another Costa cruise with a discount of 30%. The company is considering appropriate options for travel after this date. Other Costa ships are sailing as normal and customers will be able to continue with their bookings.
Are they protected if they have booked a package? If customers are booked with the Costa Concordia and have booked all of their arrangements including flights as part of a package they would be entitled to a full refund of the total cost.
Are they protected if they’ve booked a cruise and flight separately? If customers have booked a flight separately, are booked with the Concordia, and do not take up the option of another cruise and are unable to use their flight tickets, if the tickets are booked in business class or other premium class they would be able to claim a refund from the airline. If booked in economy the tickets would be non-refundable and subject to a 100% cancellation fee.
Are they able to switch cruises? Concordia customers will be offered alternatives as above; customers booked with other Costa ships will continue with their trips as normal and are otherwise subject to normal booking conditions.
If a customer has booked a cruise with Costa but not the CostaConcordia and want to cancel what happens? They’ll be subject to normal booking conditions, i.e. cancellation fees, not covered by travel insurance as it would be deemed “disinclination to travel”.
What safety procedures are now being put on place by Costa Cruises to avoid a similar incident? Clearly Costa will be conducting their own internal review but like all cruise companies they are subject to stringent safety regulations set by the International Maritime Organisation. As the full causes of this incident become clearer the industry will consider whether corrective measures are required and if so adopt them.
Do you fancy yourself as a travel writer? For some of us lucky few, we are able to spend every day doing what we love -- writing about travel. You may never have put pen to paper before -- maybe postcards home is normally the extent of your travel writing?
As a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, I would like to invite all Frommers.com readers to enter our New Travel Writer competition.
We are looking for someone to sum up in 800 words or less "A Revealing Journey." The competition is open until January 31, 2012 and is open to all writers aged over 18 who have not been published in the travel field. The closing date is January 31, 2012.
Amy Sohanpaul, editor of Traveller which is recognised as the UK's most literary travel magazine, suggests the article must be "from the heart," written as an evocative first-person narrative (with a plot and an ending), not a factual destination guide.
"Write from your personal point of view, conveying your direct experience. Tell us what it feels like to be there, how it sounds and smells. Introduce local people, through quotes, conversations and interactions. We look for: vividness, personal reflection, action, humour, respect for local cultures, adventure and authenticity."
The winner will win an exotic travel writing holiday to either Marrakech, Istanbul, or Andalucia, courtesy of Travellers' Tales. See www.travellerstales.org If you’re not fortunate enough to win top prize, Frommer’s are offering the third prize winner 10 Frommer’s guidebooks of their choice.
The winner will be announced at the British Guild of Travel Writers Yearbook 2012 launch in a top London hotel, attended by hundreds of the UK's top travel writers, photographers and travel industry representatives on March 6, 2012 (unfortunately we can’t provide travel to the venue).
As Iceland celebrates two new airlines increasing flights to the country, Frommer's Iceland author and music lover, Lisa Gail Shannen checks out Iceland Airwaves 2011, one of the destination’s main events of the year. With new Icelandic airline WOW Air launching three flights a week from Stansted, London from 1 June 2012 and EasyJet to launch its thrice weekly service from Luton, London on 27 March 2012, it seems like as good a time as any to look at what’s driving travellers to Iceland and one of the capital’s main events each year.
It doesn’t matter how hard it rains, the air during Iceland Airwaves vibrates with musical energy. The streets flood with dedicated airwave surfers, all there to happily collide once more in common interest, and of course to catch a musical wave that will lead them to some new audio dynamite.
Big Names It’s amazing to think that this huge festival, which started as a one-off gig in an airplane hanger back in 1999, showcasing only 5 bands, has established itself as one of the coolest events on the international music festival calendar. This year’s Airwaves played host to 250 bands and headlining was none other than Icelandic pop queen Björk herself; her concerts were thought have been long sold out, but extra tickets were announced for sale on the first day of the festival. Some devoted fans queued outside the ticket shop from as early as 3am, enduring the wind and rain for 8 hours before the tickets went on sale; the owner of Litlibóndabærinn, my favorite local organic coffee shop, took pity on the shivering crowd and distributed free coffee amongst them.
The other big name in the line-up was Sinéad O´Connor who delivered one of the best performances of the festival. Her set up was very simple and the backing minimal, leaving plenty of space for her beautiful chocolate-mint-chip vocals to fill the room. She was only supposed to perform for an hour, but ended up doing two, playing a mixture of old and new songs, and keeping us thoroughly entertained with plenty of witty banter in-between. She saved her tear inducing international hit “Nothing Compares to You” until last.
Much as the event is about showcasing new international talent, there’s also plenty of Icelandic music to discover. This year was host to 165 Icelandic bands including many Airwave’s favorites who’ve played the festival before, such as the brilliant Cynic Guru, Tonik, Ólafur Ardnalds, Bloodgroup and Agent Fresco. These are great artists and well worth a watch; however, my favorite new Icelandic discovery is an original funk/afro/jazz band: the Samuel Jon Samuelsson Big Band. Their brass funky performance was both energizing and uplifting and left me feeling rather groovy and actually a little lost for words, apart from a mouthful of extreme adjectives that is.
Another Icelandic performer to watch out for is the electronic music artist Futuregrapher, whose performances are always spirited and soulful; his one man show at Airwaves delivered an air fracturing fusion of sound and vision framed within intelligent rhythms. The crowd was successfully courted by his enigmatic stage presence and he presided over them like a preacher of passion, while his music excited and united his disciples on the dance-floor.
Photo Caption: Futuregrapher. Credit: Roman Gerasymenko
My Favorite New International Discoveries
Spaceships Are Cool are a band from Nottingham in the U.K and played a few of the off-venues. I was very happy I accidentally found myself in the audience during their Thursday night set at Barbara (a new Reykjavík club), I had planned on going somewhere else but had dived into this place to get some shelter from the blessed rain. Dressed in cool matching orange rocket-ship uniforms and armed with range of acoustic and electro instruments, including a stylophone and one of those snazzy air synths, they performed a set of melodious songs from their e.p, (which they gave away free to audience members) and completely fulfilled their intention of shooting some sunshine into our souls.
Friday night at NASA was probably one of the best and most unexpected nights of Airwaves for me, one of my favorites were headlining the night: Bloodgroup, but I thought I’d get there early and catch some bands I’d never heard of as well; none of them disappointed. When I arrived the place was already crowded and rocking to a futuristic fusion of past and present ethnic genres in the form of Tune Yards from the U.S.
This act was quickly followed by another great band called Clock Operafrom London. They arrived on stage with a big bearded frontman and launched into an energetic set of earnest numbers. The bearded man delivered some rather wonderful lyrics and then as quick as lightening, discharged some freaky dance moves. The energy levels both on stage and in the audience seemed to intensity with every new band and rocketed when the stage was taken over by an attention grabbing Stegosaurus, who walked onstage wearing an impressive feathered war-bonnet. This act with the giant-sized name “Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs” performed a dangerous set of dance music with rib-rattling monster beats and dino-dancing girls for decoration.
Photo Caption: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Credit: Roman Gerasymenko
The Blue Lagoon Chill At 6,300kr ($52.83) the Blue Lagoon Chill party is not cheap, at least not for Icelanders, but with the currency still at around 50% of its original strength it’s probably affordable for most visitors from abroad. Price aside, the event is annually amazing. Airwavers get to party in the pretty blue lagoon while drinking beer and listening to some choice chill-out music. Dominating the decks this year was Iceland’s own DJ Margeir, with a guest appearance from GusGus’ Daniel Ágúst. When the DJ plays the trademark chill vintage track “Love is in the Air” it’s tradition for the guests to whip the water up into a foaming frenzy.
Photo Caption: Blue Lagoon. Credit: Roman Gerasymenko
You can’t be in ten places at once
When it’s all over you can’t’ help feeling like you’ve missed something, and then you hear about what happened here and there and realize you have. With ten venues active each evening, the main drawback was that it was only possible to experience 10% of the total listings. But hearing and sharing your experience with people is all part of the fun. I heard many interesting stories, and of events I wish I’d seen, such as Yoko Ono bringing out the police to close down her show at the Harpa concert hall; apparently it went on a bit too late...
I would have also liked to witness the brave Rich Aucoin as he literally surfed the crowd of Airwavers perched on a real surfboard.What makes Airwaves so remarkable is the focus on people and their enjoyment of music. Hopefully, it will stay that way in spite of its growing importance and popularity. Though it’s not long over, the organizers have already announced the dates for next year’s festival which will be from 31 October 31 to 4 November.
Beer is usually a popular subject with our readers, so last night I forced myself along to Brewdog’s launch of its first bar on English soil in Camden, London, with one of our London authors, Donald Strachan. What I do for travel, eh?
Brewdog is a microbrewery based in Scotland known for its unique style of brewing and its new bar is a short skip from Camden Tube station. Set over two floors, with minimal decor, stripped back black walls and a brick-work bar, it’s got a kind of down-to-business feel about it, but it’s a welcome change to a lot of the fusty pubs in the area. Plus, there’s no TV, definitely a plus in the city these days.
Marketing itself as a bit of a maverick, Brewdog has gained a reputation for controversy in the drinks industry, setting itself up as an antidote to - in its own words - “the pathetic monotony of mass market industrial beers made by faceless multi-national corporations”. Strong stuff, but so is its beer, and among the craft beers on offer last night was the former strongest beer in the world – Sink the Bismarck weighing in at a staggeringly potent 41%. If that sounds extreme, then note this is also the brewer who produces The End of History beer (a nod to philosopher Francis Fukuyama) presented in a stuffed stoat or grey squirrel, and is now the world’s strongest beer at 55%.
Credit: BrewDog
There was no taxidermy going on last night and no, I didn’t try that beer, because I was going elsewhere afterwards and I’m responsible (a coward) but I did get to experience a tasting session downstairs held by Brewdog founders, James and Martin. Both these self-styled “beer pirates” really held the room with their expertise, as they took us through how to taste a beer properly, their individual artisan slant on the brewing process, and five of their top beers (complemented, by the way, by Masterchef Winner Tim Anderson’s pizzas and burgers).
My favourite beers were the 5 AM Saint and Punk IPA, both containing spicy and deep flavours, both intensely hoppy and loaded up with strong American hop varieties, but the best was saved until last. Everyone in the room was asked to wear an eye mask, and then handed the last beer of the evening: rich chocolate notes (that’s what the wine crowd say isn’t it?), a bitter coffee after-taste and the bold, deep truffle flavour of a solid stout. When we were asked to take off our eye-masks, everyone was amazed to see we’d been drinking a blonde beer – Brewdog’s first blonde stout. You’ve got to hand it to them, that’s quite a feat (and I was relieved not to be holding a stoat stout, too).
If this is what not playing by the rules and an individual approach to the brewing of beer is like, then I’m signed up to the new Punk beer revolution.
BrewDog Camden is now officially open at 113 Bayham Street, London. www.brewdog.com
There can be few sights on earth as exhilarating or humbling as that of a dark, mottled form slowly emerging in a glittering eruption of rippling waves just a few metres away from the small boat you’re sitting in, gradually revealing itself as one of nature’s most majestic animals. My first whale watching experience is certainly one which will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I was delighted yet unsurprised to discover the vast variety of events which exist solely to rejoice in this breathtaking spectacle.
Across the planet, whales of all types, shapes and sizes are commemorated in events throughout the year, from Australia and New Zealand to Vietnam and Korea. November 2011 even saw Europe’s first whale festival launch in Brighton, England - despite there being no actual potential for whale sightings in the area. Undeterred, WhaleFest hosted a variety of whale and dolphin-orientated attractions over a long weekend, including the opportunity to come face-to-face with a life-sized blue whale (dummy).
Photo Caption: Eastern Pacific grey whale. Credit: Courtesy of Dana Point Festival of Whales
The annual migration of the eastern Pacific grey whale gives the west coast of North America 20,000 reasons to celebrate every spring. From southern California to British Columbia, coastal towns welcome back these graceful animals to their local waters in a series of jubilant festivals.
Certain factors make these whales’ migration particularly worthy of recognition. Grey whales undertake the longest annual migration of any known mammal, and the eastern Pacific variety make a round trip of around 20,000 km every year, from Mexico’s Baja peninsula to their near-Arctic summer feeding grounds. This breed has also been commercially hunted close to extinction twice over the past few hundred years, but thankfully numbers have now recovered significantly. Celebrating their triumphant survival is undoubtedly one of the primary aims of the West Coast whale festivals, which often place a strong focus on educating participants of the plight of other varieties of whale across the planet.
One of the best of these whale welcome parties is Vancouver Island’s Pacific Rim Whale Festival, held every March in the beautiful surroundings of the Pacific Rim National Park, in the small towns of Tofino and Ucluelet. The festival lasts three weeks and offers a range of events and activities focused on honouring, observing and understanding the whales, as well as educating attendees of the environmental threats facing whale populations worldwide. 2011’s schedule included events as diverse as the ‘Martini Migration’ - a competition which saw local mixologists vie for the title of the best Whale Festival Martini - and the ‘Sensory Experience’, which allowed visitors to listen to authentic whale sounds in a relaxing environment.
Photo Caption: Spot the whale… Whale-watching from Tofino. Credit: Photo by Jennifer Hardwick
Access this part of Vancouver Island’s rugged coastline by coach from British Columbia’s capital Victoria, or splash out on a ride in a seaplane for panoramic views across the Pacific. Make the trip and you’ll be rewarded with long stretches of windswept beaches struck by the high rolling waves that make the area a surfing hotspot, studded with clusters of dark craggy rocks and trimmed by dense fir woods that sweep right down to the water’s edge. Whale watching is popular from both Tofino and Ucelet throughout the year, as many Pacific greys choose not to venture further north and spend their summers in the area, while humpbacks and orcas (killer whales) can often be seen too. Black bears, eagles and harbour seals are other local residents.
Photo Caption: On the beach in Tofino. Credit: Photo by Jennifer Hardwick
Oregon hosts special whale ‘Watch Weeks’ to make the most of both the spring and winter migrations, in March and December. Hundreds of knowledgeable volunteers are stationed at look-out points along the state’s coastline, to help locals and visitors pick out the whales among the waves.
Orange County’s annual Dana Point Festival of Whales features two weekends of fun in March, when 40 – 50 grey whales pass by the town each day. The excitement kicks off with the Parade, held on the first Saturday of the Festival, as whale-related floats and giant inflatables are proudly held aloft along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Photo Caption: Whale Pride. Credit: Courtesy of Dana Point Festival of Whales
The Mendocino Coast Whale Festivals take place in the small towns of Little River, Fort Bragg and Mendocino. On top of organised whale-watching walks, attendees can also participate in kayaking tours of nearby sea caves.
So if you like your whale watching with a party atmosphere, head to the West Coast this spring for a guaranteed glimpse of a majestic eastern Pacific grey, and celebrate the staying power of these deep sea survivors with a few days of migratory merriment.
Written by Jennifer Hardwick
The Pacific Rim Whale will take place from the 17th-25th March 2012. www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com
The Dana Point Festival of Whales will take place on the 3rd-4th March and the 10-11th March 2012. www.dpfestivalofwhales.com
The Mendocino Coast Whale Festivals will take place on the 3rd-4th, 10th-11th and 17th-18thMarch 2012. www.mendowhale.com
Oregon’s whale Watch Weeks will take place at different locations throughout March 2012. Visit www.traveloregon.com for more information.
I used to live and work in Columbia, SC and have lots to do when I visit, but it's not on most peoples' maps as a vacation spot, compared to Charleston or Myrtle Beach. In recent years, the capital city of the Palmetto State has been building on an infrastructure that's always had lots of hotels and restaurants for visitors doing business with the state, families of the university students, and military families (visiting friends or relatives at Ft. Jackson).
Now Columbia has the Congaree Vista, a riverfront neighborhood that didn't even have a name when I lived there; it was an area filled with old warehouses (some from the Civil War era), a few businesses, and not a lot of traffic. The town's major social/nightlife center was the Five Points area (also recently refurbed), which bumps up against the University, and is still going strong.
Today, the Vista is a packed, walkable neighborhood of shops, galleries, housing, small businesses, restaurants and clubs in restored buildings, or new construction that fits in with the original architecture. It's one of the reasons Columbia is becoming an attractive place to linger, and can be a good-value getaway. Just remember not to come for a quiet break on a weekend the USC Gamecock football team is at home, or an important basketball game, or you'll be sharing the "secret" with tens of thousands of fans.
Getting There: Common wisdom used to decree that for the best value, you flew into Charlotte or Charleston and drove to Columbia. On my recent trips, airfare to Columbia was much less than the cheapest flights to Charlotte or Charleston. Columbia's about an hour's flight from Washington, DC, and a little under two hours from NYC.
Staying There: You can almost always find a good deal at one of the chains. There are some nice independent places as well, including The Inn at Claussen's, a boutique hotel in Five Points in an old bakery building (doubles from $109 weekdays/from $179 weekends and holidays). On Main Street you can stay in the Sheraton Columbia Downtown (doubles from the mid-$150s, packages available), newly renovated from a 1913 bank building, with many of the original fixtures retained (and the former bank vault cleverly turned into a cozy bar).
Eating Well: South Carolina's long growing season goes well with the "farm to table" movement. While everyone's talking about Charleston's Husk (Bon Appetit magazine's "Best New Restaurant in America"); there's a strong foodie scene in Columbia, where many eateries share the same dedication to presenting locally-sourced dishes. In the Vista, Eddie Wales's Motor Supply Company Bistro (www.motorsupplycobistro.com), housed in (you guessed it) a former motor supply shop, offers a menu that changes daily, depending on what's fresh and foraged. One of the early Vista arrivals, (ca. 1989), it's notable for Executive Chef Tim Peters's "charcuterie from scratch" along with a full bar that includes a range of house-infused vodkas (try the pumpkin White Russian!), a good craft/artisanal beer list, and a wide-ranging wine list.
Arts & Nightlife: My visit to Columbia was to see the latest production at Trustus Theater (www.trustus.org), another Vista gentrifier, and one of the South's most interesting theaters, developing and presenting new work in its mainstage and black box spaces, as well as modern and classic revivals. Pulitzer Prize-winning August: Osage County runs through Nov. 12, and next up is the musical Spring Awakening.
Getting Outdoors: My idea of getting outdoors is having a drink at a nice rooftop bar, but in terms of actual activities, The Riverbanks Zoo & Garden offers a well-curated and humanely kept collection of flora and fauna, as well as some historic ruins and an animal hospital that treats raptors and endangered species (and returns them to the wild when possible). And, for a unique souvenir, Riverbanks also offers "Compoost" by the pint or truckload.
Getting Outdoors (Sports Version): I'm informed that you can golf about 10 months of the year in South Carolina (12 if you're hardcore). My friend and former colleague Bob Gillespie spend his "retirement" playing at courses public and private, ferreting out little-known courses, bargains, and reporting on golf news for the state tourism board. Bob's recommendation in the Midlands (actually about 40 miles west of Columbia) is to check out the course at Orangeburg Country Club, which just received a multi-million dollar renovation from architects who have worked on Augusta National and Pinehurst.
